From War to Work: RBC Ex-Military Recruitment Program

Our troops are now coming home to face a new battle: Unemployment

TORONTO, December 21, 2011 After the largest military deployment in recent history - our troops are coming home to face a new battle: Unemployment. Today, Treble Victor Group and RBC are introducing a new recruitment program directed at ex-military personnel. With the support of Canada Company and the True Patriot Love Foundation, the RBC Ex-Military Recruitment Program aims to help ex-military men and women tap into great career choices at RBC.

"The leadership training and experience these individuals received through military service is unparalleled," said Mark Walden, RBC Commercial Financial Services and President of Treble Victor Group. "I am personally very proud that RBC has taken a leadership position in corporate Canada, recognizing not only the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform but also in actively trying to bring more people with this background into the organization."

The true impact of the war is just starting to be felt at home. Veterans may be facing injury, disability, post traumatic stress syndrome, even homelessness. Yet, it's the unemployment problem facing young vets that continues to be overlooked.

"At RBC, we believe that a diverse workforce is central to serving our clients well. These men and women bring extremely valuable skills from their military experience," says Lee Gray, Senior Manager, RBC Recruitment. "A military resume should not be a barrier to working in corporate Canada. Organizations should recognize the talents of ex-military individuals and give them the opportunity to add value in today's civilian workplace."

RBC has over 60 self-identified current and ex-military personnel working for the company in various areas of the organization. Nick Butler, an RBC Investment Retirement Planner, serves
as an infantry officer with a Reserve light infantry unit based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has served in the Canadian Forces since 2001.

"Reservists bring a lot of skills to their civilian employers," said Butler. "As a Reserve Officer, I've been trained in a number of transferrable skills - small unit leadership, human resource management, excelling under stress, how to work as part of a team, how to systematically process information, how to handle large projects, and so on." Nick Butler is now on leave from RBC for 12 weeks of training in preparation for his deployment to Afghanistan in February 2012, where he will be involved in Operation ATTENTION - Canada's participation in the NATO Training Mission in Kabul.

With the help of Treble Victor, Canada Company, and
True Patriot Love, RBC's program hopes to help ex-military personnel achieve their full career potential. As part of this program, both past and present military men and women will be connected with specialized recruitment professionals that can discuss career options and provide guidance through their application process.

To apply for an opportunity or for more information, past and present military personnel can e-mail a resume to military@rbc.com. Ex-servicemen and women who have a disability are encouraged to apply.

About Treble Victor (3V)RBC is proud to partner with Treble Victor Group, an ex-military networking group, founded by two RBC employees. Treble Victor assists in the development of resources to support the transition of military leaders to careers in business, government and not-for-profit sectors. Its mission is to enable ex-military leaders to achieve their full potential in the marketplace through common values, teamwork, mentorship and our network's connectivity.

About Canada CompanyRBC works with organizations like Canada Company, a national charity that unites community and corporate leaders in support of Canada's troops and their families; ensuring they receive the support and recognition they deserve. RBC is pleased to participate in the Canadian Forces Military Employment Transition Program, partnering with the Canadian Forces and Canada Company to help ex-military successfully transition into careers within the private sector.

About True Patriot Love FoundationRBC is a proud sponsor of the True Patriot Love Foundation a national foundation that provides support and honours members of the Canadian Military and their families. This foundation aims to help Canadian civilians gain a better understanding of the sacrifices our deployed service members and their families make in their service to our country.

About RBCRoyal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC. We are one of Canada's largest banks as measured by assets and market capitalization, and are among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking and transaction processing services on a global basis. We employ approximately 74,000 full- and part-time employees who serve close to 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 56 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.